Lidia Dzierzbicka-Głowacka

Spatiotemporal distribution of copepod populations in the Gulf of Gdansk (southern Baltic Sea)

In the present study, we used a 3D Coupled Ecosystem Model of Baltic Sea version 1 (3D CEMBSv1) coupled with a copepod model to examine the spatiotemporal distribution of two representative copepod populations in the Gulf of Gdansk (southern Baltic Sea) including Acartia spp. and Pseudocalanus minutus elongatus. The annual cycles simulated for 2000 under realistic weather and hydrographic conditions were studied with the three-dimensional version of the coupled ecosystem-copepod model in the south-eastern Baltic Sea. The paper presents the comparison of simulated and observed copepod development at two stations in the Gulf of Gdansk. A validation of influential state variables gives confidence that the model is able to calculate reliably the stage development of dominant species in the southern Baltic Sea. The number of generations was one for P. m. elongatus and 3–5 for Acartia spp.. A mean of five generations for the latter species per year were estimated in the coastal region and ca. three generations at the Gdansk Deep (in the open sea). Food concentration and temperature as the main factors controlling the development of the investigated copepods as well as salinity as a masking factor (i.e. salinity modifies the rate of their development) in the case of Pseudocalanus minutus elongatus are included in the present study.

The Automatic Monitoring System for 3D-CEMBSv2 in the Operational Version

� Abstract—The presence of toxic heavy metals in industrial effluents is one of the serious threats to the environment. Heavy metals such as Cadmium, Chromium, Lead, Nickel, Zinc, Mercury, Copper, Arsenic are found in the effluents of industries such as foundries, electroplating, petrochemical, battery manufacturing, tanneries, fertilizer, dying, textiles, metallurgical and metal finishing. Tremendous increase of industrial copper usage and its presence in industrial effluents has lead to a growing concern about the fate and effects of Copper in the environment. Percolation of industrial effluents through soils leads to contamination of ground water and soils. The transport of heavy metals and their diffusion into the soils has therefore, drawn the attention of the researchers. In this study, an attempt has been made to delineate the mechanisms of transport and fate of copper in terrestrial environment. Column studies were conducted using perplex glass square column of dimension side 15 cm and 1.35 m long. The soil samples were collected from a natural drain near Mohali (India). The soil was characterized to be poorly graded sandy loam. The soil was compacted to the field dry density level of about 1.6 g/cm 3 . Break through curves for different depths of the column were plotted. The results of the column study indicated that the copper has high tendency to flow in the soils and fewer tendencies to get absorbed on the soil particles. The t1/2 estimates obtained from the studies can be used for design copper laden wastewater disposal systems.

Population dynamics of Pseudocalanus minutus elongatus in the Gulf of Gdansk (southern Baltic Sea) – experimental and numerical results

The seasonal and spatial distribution of the pelagic calanoid copepod Pseudocalanus minutus elongatus was studied in the Gulf of Gdansk (southern Baltic Sea) between January 2006 and December 2007 based on experimental data (from six stations) and numerical simulations. Numerical calculations were performed using a structured zooplankton population model that was adapted to this species and coupled to the ecosystem model. Spatiotemporal distribution of this species depends on salinity as a masking factor. Highest abundances at station J23, an open sea site, were observed in July 2006 and March 2007 (10,050 and 11,000 ind. m−3, respectively) and resulted from the large numbers of earlier copepodites C1–C3 in 2006 and nauplii in 2007. In shallow stations abundances declined. Our results show that only one complete generation of this copepod species developed during the year in this region. Differences in development between the experimental and numerical data are analysed.

Modeling of egg production by Temora longicornis from the Southern Baltic Sea including salinity

The paper presents modeling of egg production (Egg — no. of eggs female−1 d−1) by Temora longicornis in the changing environmental conditions of the southern Baltic Sea (Gdańsk Deep). It is hypothesized that the food-saturated rate of egg matter production is equivalent to the specific growth rate of copepods. Based on the findings from the south-western Baltic Sea, Egg of T. longicornis is evaluated as a function of food concentration, temperature and salinity over a wide range of these parameters. Subsequently, the rate of reproduction during the seasons in the Gulf of Gdańsk is determined. According to our calculations, values of Egg reach ca 11 eggs per day in April and decline strongly in June-July, while the second smaller peak in reproduction occurs in September, ca 8 eggs per day. Our results suggest that egg production rates of T. longicornis depend not only on food concentration and temperature, but also on salinity, which is a masking factor in the Baltic Sea.

Seasonal changes in the abundance and biomass of copepods in the south-eastern Baltic Sea in 2010 and 2011

Background Copepods are major secondary producers in the World Ocean. They represent an important link between phytoplankton, microzooplankton and higher trophic levels such as fish. They are an important source of food for many fish species but also a significant producer of detritus. In the terms of the role they play in the marine food web, it is important to know how environmental variability affects the population of copepods. Methods The study of the zooplankton community in the south-eastern Baltic Sea conducted during a 24-month survey (from January 2010 to November 2011) resulted in the identification of 24 invertebrate species (10 copepods, seven cladocerans, four rotifers, one ctenophore, one larvacean, and one amphipod). Data were collected at two stations located in the open sea waters of the Gulf of Gdansk: the Gdansk Deep (P1) (54°50′N, 19°19′E) and in the western, inner part of the Gulf of Gdansk (P2) (54°32′N, 18°48.2′E). The vertical hauls were carried out with the use of two kinds of plankton nets with a mesh size of 100 µm: a Copenhagen net (in 2010), and a WP-2 net (in 2011). Results The paper describes the seasonal changes in the abundance and biomass of copepods, taking into account the main Baltic calanoid copepod taxa (Acartia spp., Temora longicornis and Pseudocalanus sp.). They have usually represented the main component of zooplankton. The average number of copepods at the P1 Station during the study period of 2010 was 3,913 ind m−3(SD 2,572) and their number ranged from 1,184 ind m−3 (in winter) to 6,293 ind m−3(in spring). One year later, the average count of copepods was higher, at 11,723 ind m−3(SD 6,980), and it ranged from 2,351 ind m−3(in winter) to 18,307 ind m−3(in summer). Their average count at P2 Station in 2010 was 29,141 ind m−3, ranging from 3,330 ind m−3(in March) to 67,789 ind m−3(in May). The average count of copepods in 2011 was much lower at 17,883 ind m−3, and it ranged from 1,360 ind m−3 (in April) to 39,559 ind m−3 (in May). Discussion The environmental conditions of the pelagic habitat change in terms of both depth and distance from the shore. Although the qualitative (taxonomic) structure of zooplankton is almost identical to that of the coastal waters, the quantitative structure (abundance and biomass) changes quite significantly. The maximum values of zooplankton abundance and biomass were observed in the summer season, both in the Gdansk Deep and in the inner part of the Gulf of Gdansk. Copepods dominated in the composition of zooplankton for almost the entire time of the research duration. Quantitative composition of copepods at the P1 Station differed from the one at P2 Station due to the high abundance of Pseudocalanus sp. which prefers colder, more saline waters.

The use of satellite data in the operational 3D coupled ecosystem model of the Baltic Sea (3D CEMBS)

Abstract The objective of this paper is to present an automatic monitoring system for the 3D CEMBS model in the operational version. This predictive, eco hydrodynamic model is used as a tool to control the conditions and bio productivity of the Baltic sea environment and to forecast physical and ecological changes in the studied basin. Satellite-measured data assimilation is used to constrain the model and achieve higher accuracy of its results. 3D CEMBS is a version of the Community Earth System Model, adapted for the Baltic Sea. It consists of coupled ocean and ice models, working in active mode together with the ecosystem module. Atmospheric forecast from the UM model (Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling of the Warsaw University) are used as a forcing fields feed through atmospheric data model. In addition, river inflow of freshwater and nutrient deposition from 71 main rivers is processed by land model. At present, satellite data from AQUA MODIS, processed by the SatBałtyk project Operational System are used for the assimilation of sea surface temperature and chlorophyll a concentration. In the operational mode, 48-hour forecasts are produced at six-hour intervals, providing a wide range of hydrodynamic and biochemical parameters.

Population dynamics of the main copepod species in the Gulf of Gdansk (the Southern Baltic Sea): abundance, biomass and production rates

Abstract The aim of this study was to describe the production biomass and abundance dynamics of the major Baltic calanoid copepods (Acartia spp., Temora longicornis and Pseudocalanus sp.) in the Gulf of Gdansk (the southern Baltic Sea) during a three-year period from March 2010 to December 2012. The data were collected at six stations located in the western part of the gulf. Acartia spp. was the most abundant taxon throughout the study period. The observed differences in the weighted mean depth for the investigated species were >2 m between nauplii and adults of Acartia spp., >5 m between nauplii and adults of Temora longicornis and 3 m between nauplii and younger copepodites of Pseudocalanus sp. The highest values of the secondary production rates were determined for Acartia spp. - almost 17.55 mg C m-2 d-1 (summer 2011), while Temora longicornis reached 3.80 mg C m-2 d-1 in spring 2010 and Pseudocalanus sp. had the highest secondary production values in summer 2011 - about 1.28 mg C m-2 d-1.

Accuracy assessment of temperature and salinity computed by the 3D Coupled Ecosystem Model of the Baltic Sea (3D CEMBS) in the Southern Baltic

ABSTRACT This paper presents a Coupled Ecosystem Model of the Baltic Sea – 3D CEMBS. The model was developed for the Baltic Sea region and forced by atmospheric data from the UM model (by the Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling, Warsaw University). The model was compared with hydrological data collected during cruises of r/v ‘Oceania’. The analysis covers period from 2010 to 2013 for the main inflow axis on Southern Baltic domain. The evaluation results show a temperature and salinity correlation between the data ca 0.8 and 0.92, respectively. Simulated temperatures and salinity are generally well maintained. However, differences between model and in situ data depend on time and space, and arise with higher gradients.